Designing Distanced Intergenerational Interaction with Tangible Technology

Project Aims

This research project explores how tangible technologies can help build stronger connections between geographically separated families, especially between young children and their older relatives. By addressing the challenges of distance, isolation, and disconnection, we aim to support meaningful and playful interactions across generations.

Our aims are to:

• Understand how families currently use technology to stay connected across distance, and how children and older relatives engage with each other.

• Identify barriers and enablers that affect emotional closeness and meaningful interactions between young children and older adults.

• Co-design with families to develop new ways for distant children and older relatives to connect through tangible technologies.

• Prototype and build tangible systems that allow natural, hands-on interactions even when families are apart.

• Test these systems with families over time to see what works best for fostering emotional closeness and engagement.

• Develop a framework and practical tools to guide designers, developers, families, and communities in creating their own affordable, accessible systems for intergenerational connection.

For further information, see https://research.qut.edu.au/dttfdii/

Call for Participants

We are inviting families to take part in this research project. We are looking for:

• Children aged 4–7 years old

• Parents or guardians of children aged 4–7 years old

• Older relatives (aged 65+) who live in a different city, state, or country from the child

If this sounds like your family, we would love to hear from you! By participating, you’ll help us explore new ways for children and their older relatives to stay emotionally connected across distance.

Register your interest here: https://forms.office.com/r/xQJrzgpk40